Suquet de peix
A Catalan fisherman's stew of white fish and potatoes, thickened with an almond-garlic picada.
Suquet de peix is a coastal stew that the fishing villages of Catalonia made from what didn't sell at market. Firm white fish (monkfish, scorpionfish, hake), potatoes, garlic, tomato, a splash of brandy or wine, all simmered together. At the end, a picada of pounded almonds, garlic, parsley and sometimes fried bread goes in and binds the broth into a glossy, slightly thick sauce. The name comes from the Catalan suc, meaning juice or sauce. The finished stew should be loose and brothy, not heavy.
How it's served
Served in a deep bowl with the potatoes underneath and the fish on top, broth ladled over. Bread on the side, a porró of wine in the middle of the table. The picada is sometimes stirred in tableside.
Regional variation
The Costa Brava version leans on Empordà rockfish and a heavier picada with hazelnuts. Further south toward Tarragona, the picada uses more almonds and sometimes saffron. Both belong to the same lineage of one-pot fisherman cooking.
- Origin
- Catalan coast (Costa Brava and Empordà tradition)
- Etymology
- From the Catalan suc ('juice' or 'sauce'); literally 'little juice'.
Where to try it in Barcelona
One restaurant on Guidavera mentions suquet de peix in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What kind of fish goes in suquet de peix?
Firm white fish that holds up to simmering: monkfish, scorpionfish, hake, conger. Coastal restaurants often use whatever the morning's auction at Llotja de Palamós or Barceloneta turned up. Prawns sometimes join in but aren't traditional.
What's the picada in suquet?
A paste of pounded almonds, garlic, parsley, sometimes fried bread or saffron, used to thicken and finish Catalan stews. It goes in at the end and binds the broth. Without the picada, the stew is just fish and potato; with it, it's suquet.
Is suquet a soup or a stew?
A stew, but a loose one. The broth should run when you tilt the bowl, not pour. Think halfway between bouillabaisse and a Mediterranean fish casserole.
Related terms
- PicadaA pounded paste of nuts, garlic, parsley and sometimes fried bread, stirred into a Catalan stew at the end to thicken and finish it.
- AllioliPungent Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil. Traditionally no egg. Eaten with grilled meats, paella and fish.
- FideuàA Valencian paella made with short, hollow noodles instead of rice. Comes with allioli on the side.
- PaellaValencian rice dish cooked in a wide flat pan over fire. The original is chicken, rabbit, snails and beans, not seafood.
- Mar i muntanyaCatalan 'sea and mountain' cooking: dishes that combine seafood with meat in the same pot. Chicken with prawns is the canonical example.
- RapeMonkfish. Firm-textured white fish with no small bones and a single central cartilage, used in Spanish suquet, paella, and grilled on the plancha.
- SofritoA slow-cooked base of onion, tomato and garlic in olive oil. The starting point for most Spanish rice dishes, stews and sauces.